Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh reacts to cheering fans before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)

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Tyler Erzberger

By Tyler Erzberger

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John Harbaugh has signed a five-year deal with the New York Giants, and the fanbase as a whole seems thrilled.

The team's hopeful franchise quarterback, Jaxson Dart, is elated.

The rest of the team seems pumped.

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Owner John Mara feels like he signed the biggest piece on the board.

Everyone in New York City seems to be ecstatic about the move, except one man: general manager Joe Schoen.

Why?

While Harbaugh and the Giants agreed to terms after their first in-person interview, the deal wasn't officially signed for over 24 hours after the news broke because of one key detail. Harbaugh did not want to report to Schoen and wanted it in writing that if there was an important decision to be made, be it the upcoming NFL Draft or a trade, he would have final say over the GM.

Mara eventually agreed, and Harbaugh's direct line of contact is not Schoen, who has one last year on his contract with the Giants.

More news: The Unusual Clause That Nearly Killed John Harbaugh’s Giants Deal: Report

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 25: General manager Joe Schoen of the New York Giants speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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On Tuesday, Schoen was asked about this special clause and what it means for his relationship with Harbaugh.

He wanted to make it clear that everything will be done in tandem between the two, with his two-decade-plus experience underscoring that's how it's always been done in the NFL.

"I'm not worried about it," Schoen remarked about the clause. "That's just something on a piece of paper. It doesn't matter. We need to work together and come to a final conclusion. And it will always be about what's best for the New York Giants."

If you were to ask Harbaugh if the piece of the contract that he took over a day to discuss to be put into his agreement is "just something on a piece of paper," he would probably give you a different answer.

We will see how the Schoen and Harbaugh relationship develops as we enter the scouting and free agency period of the offseason, with the Giants holding the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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